Cheteshwar Pujara rises to 5th in ICC Test rankings

Agencies, Dubai
India’s batting sensation Cheteshwar Pujara climbed two places to be at fifth spot, while Virat Kohli slipped a position at number 11 in the latest ICC Test rankings issued here today.

Pujara, with career-best 851 points, remained the best-placed Indian batsman in the top-10, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stayed put at the seventh position in the bowlers’ chart. In the all-rounder’s ranking, Ashwin continued to rule the roost.

South Africa’s AB de Villiers leads the Test batsmen table with 912 points followed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul (876) of the West Indies and Ross Taylor (871) from New Zealand.

Kohli has 739 rating points. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha fell one spot to ninth position in the bowlers’ table, led by South Africa’s Vernon Philander.

Ojha lost his place to Australian speedster Mitchel Johnson, who had a sensational Ashes series where he claimed 37 wickets in five Tests.

Philander was followed by his teammate Dale Steyn and Australia’s Ryan Harris.